Breaking Bad's Iconic Bathtub Scene Is Completely Inaccurate According To Science
"Breaking Bad" was a legendary show filled with iconic scenes and unexpected moments. Whether it's Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) Heisenberg speech, Gus Fring's (Giancarlo Esposito) death, or Jesse Pinkman's (Aaron Paul) iconic catchphrase, most everyone is familiar with something from the show.
One of the show's most iconic moments came very early on in potentially the best season of "Breaking Bad." Season 1, Episode 2, titled "Cat's in the Bag...," focused on Walt and Jesse as they dealt with the aftermaths of the pilot, specifically Emilio's (John Koyama) corpse and Krazy-8 (Max Arciniega). The duo took Krazy-8 and the body to a house previously owned by Jesse's late aunt. After he loses a coin flip, Walter is left to kill Krazy-8 while Jesse disposes of the corpse. Walt instructs Jesse to purchase a plastic bin to dissolve the body in, destroying all evidence that he killed Emilio. Jesse instead decides to use the upstairs bathtub. He uses hydrofluoric acid to dissolve Emilio's body, which ends up eating through the tub's ceramic and metal and spilling the glob that was once Emilio all over the hallway underneath. Walter tells Jesse that hydrofluoric acid dissolves everything but plastic.
The incredibly iconic moment occurred so early in the show's five-season run that it definitely played a role in hooking viewers into the new series. The scene stands out as one of the most comical yet stressful scenes in the show, and it immediately had another scientific duo questioning its validity.
Mythbusters proved that the bathtub scene wasn't realistic
Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of "Mythbusters" took it upon themselves to test exactly how accurate the bathtub scene from "Breaking Bad" was. Their results differed quite a bit from the events of the show.
"Mythbusters" started their experiment with a small-scale replica. Adam began by collecting small pieces of everything the acid melted through in the iconic scene, including ceramic, wood, linoleum, steel, and cast iron. The duo then took the small items to a secure lab and tested the effects hydrofluoric acid had on them. The results of the small-scale experiment yielded no significant changes to the substances. The pork they included to substitute for human flesh was slightly softer but not the mush as seen on "Breaking Bad."
Unsatisfied with the experiment's results, Adam and Jamie decided to recreate it on a much larger scale. The "Mythbusters" team built an entire bathroom in the middle of the desert and put a whole pig carcass into the tub. To substitute the two gallons of hydrofluoric acid used in "Breaking Bad," Adam and Jamie used a more potent mixture of six gallons of sulfuric acid and a mystery component they dubbed "special sauce." They kept the special sauce a secret to not educate any criminals. The results were truly disgusting as the mixture turned the pig into goo, but the tub and flooring were both untouched.
Though creator and writer Vince Gilligan dipped his toes into fantasy for the moment, the result was still one of the most memorable scenes in all of "Breaking Bad."